Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia Bishop Paolo Martinelli has addressed a message “to all our Muslim brothers and sisters”, at the end of Ramadan, and the celebration of ‘Id al-Fitr.

In this moment marked by the war “we stand united more than ever,” the bishop writes. “Faith teaches us that peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a gift of God, entrusted to the responsibility of humanity.” For this reason, “I wish to assure you of our prayers. As Christians continue their journey through the season of Lent, we carry in our hearts the people of this region and all those who suffer because of violence, fear, and loss.”

While extending to all “greetings of sincere closeness, friendship, and esteem,” the Catholic Church in Southern Arabia “remain close to you in friendship and fraternity, and we continue to pray and work for peace. Let us continue to offer a powerful sign to the entire world: a shared testimony that peace and human fraternity are not utopian ideas, but living realities. Let us not allow the darkness of war to obscure the light that shines from that commitment.”

Bishop Paolo concludes his message with a call to fraternity and commitment to dialogue and reconciliation: “Together, as brothers and sisters, we stand in solidarity. Together we remain close to those who suffer the most, entrusting their pain to the mercy of the Almighty and committing ourselves to be instruments of compassion and reconciliation.”